Nowadays, teeth whitening advertisements are increasingly prevalent. Some patients visiting clinics complain that despite using advertised products, their teeth don't seem to have whitened.
In reality, whether teeth have whitened cannot be determined solely by visual inspection.
According to Dr. Jennyshen, a Doctor of Dental Medicine at California State University, Los Angeles, dentists use the internationally recognized VITA shade guide as the standard for tooth color diagnosis in patients with tooth discoloration.
The professional teeth whitening shade guide is arranged from lightest to darkest:
1→B1, 2→A1, 3→B2, 4→D2, 5→A2, 6→C1,7→C2, 8→D3, 9→A3, 10→D4, 11→B3, 12→A3.5, 13→B4, 14→C3, 15→A4, 16→C4.
The letters indicate the color tendency of the patient's tooth discoloration: A represents reddish-brown; B represents reddish-yellow; C represents grayish; D represents reddish-gray.The degree of discoloration is indicated by a number; the higher the number, the more pronounced the discoloration. For example: If a patient's teeth are rated C3, it indicates moderate tetracycline staining. If rated A3.5, it indicates noticeable yellowing. In professional teeth whitening treatments, comparing tooth color before and after treatment using the VITA scale allows for an objective and accurate assessment of whitening results.
For example: If a patient's teeth were D4 before whitening and became B2 after treatment, this indicates an 8-shade improvement in whiteness.
Current teeth whitening products cannot guarantee snow-white results for every patient, as outcomes depend on individual dental conditions. Therefore, product effectiveness cannot be generalized. For instance, professional clinics using cold light whitening systems typically achieve a 5-14 VITA shade improvement based on the patient's dental condition.Teeth whitening is a highly specialized field. Patients seeking whitening treatment should visit professional clinics where dentists use VITA shade guides to assess the degree of discoloration. Based on this evaluation, dentists provide tailored recommendations and treatments, preventing the misuse of unsuitable cosmetic products.